VitalTalks: Future of Public Health from Vital Strategies looks at how the world around us shapes our health, and how we can shape our environments so that everyone, everywhere has the potential for great health.
Vital Strategies is a global public health organization that seeks to accelerate progress on the world's most pressing health problems. Our team combines evidence-based strategies with innovation to help develop and implement sound public health policies, manage programs efficiently, strengthen data systems, conduct research, and design strategic communication campaigns for policy and behavior change.
To find out more, please visit www.vitalstrategies.org.
Local Voices, Global Impact: Cities and the Fight Against NCDs
In this timely conversation, Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown Sierra Leone and Dr. Mary-Ann Etiebet, President and CEO of Vital Strategies, discuss the critical role cities play in combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs) ahead of the UN's Fourth High-Level Meeting on the prevention and control of NCDs and the promotion of mental health and wellbeing on 25 September 2025.
Freetown is leading by example on NCD prevention as part of the Partnership for Healthy Cities, a global network of 74 cities supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with Vital Strategies and the World Health Organization. Mayor Aki-Sawyerr shares insights on how urban centers, home to nearly 60% of the global population, can deliver fast, responsive policy solutions where people live, work, and play. The episode highlights cities as powerful allies in global health action, demonstrating what's possible when urban leaders are resourced and empowered to tackle pressing public health challenges at the local level.
This episode references a recent statement from the Partnership for Healthy Cities, urging world leaders to recognize cities as essential partners in addressing NCDs . A number of mayors championed the statement’s call to action, including Mayor Aki-Sawyerr.
22 Apr 2025
Campaigns for Change: Community Is the Channel—Communicating in a Networked World
In the final episode of our Campaigns for Change series, we speak to creative director and story architect Kesu James to explore the radical shift from one-way public health messaging to community-driven, decentralized conversations. This episode dives into the evolution from Web 1 to Web 3, what it means for trust and authority, and how communicators must adapt in a world where your message is no longer the oracle—it’s the conversation starter.
We unpack what it takes to build public health campaigns that spark genuine dialogue, foster human connection, and meet people where they are—online, in community, and beyond.
Our guest on this episode:
Kesu James, Creative Director and Story Architect
Visit the Campaign Beacon resource mentioned in this episode at www.campaignbeacon.org
3 Mar 2025
Campaigns for Change: The Power of Trusted Messengers in Public Health Campaigns
In this conversation, we speak to Denene Rodney, CEO of Zebra Strategies, about the changing communication landscape, the need for trust in public health, along with strategies for building and maintaining trust. We also explore the role of messengers in reaching hard-to-reach populations. The conversation highlights the importance of consistency, dignity, and soft engagement in research, as well as the power of trusted messengers with lived experiences.
Our guest on this episode:
Denene Rodney, CEO of Zebra Strategies
Visit the Campaign Beacon resource mentioned in this episode at www.campaignbeacon.org
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
8 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 49 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
68
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
77
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